Our Canada Features Sirius Rally Alcan Adventure

In December 2008 Our Canada magazine ran an article on the Sirius Rally Team’s experiences of the ice road to Tuktoyaktuk.  

Here’s an excerpt:

“In the low light of pre-dawn, we find our way to the boat launch and creep onto the frozen Mackenzie River. We pass tugboats and barges frozen into the river on which we are driving, but we don’t encounter any other rally traffic or local traffic – the ice road is ours. It’s smooth, straight and seems almost five lanes wide along the Mackenzie Delta, but we encounter more cracks and sweeping corners as we head northeast on the Beaufort Sea. We are driving on ocean water along the northern shore of the Northwest Territories.”

Link to a PDF of the article HERE, thanks to rallysport.ca.

Canadian Rally Championship on TV – Reruns & Premieres!

TSN will be running the entire 2008 CRC season as a leadup to the 2009 shows:

2008 Rallye Perce-Neige – Maniwaki, Quebec: Mon Jun 08 09 05:00

2008 Rocky Mountain Rally – Calgary, Alberta: Mon Jun 08 09 05:30

2008 Baie des Chaleurs – Richmond, Quebec: Tue Jun 09 09 05:00

2008 Rallye Defi – Ste. Agathe, Quebec: Tue Jun 09 09 05:30

2008 Pacific Forest Rally – Merritt, British Columbia: Wed Jun 10 09 05:00

2008 Rally of the Tall Pines – Bancroft, Ontario: Sat Jun 13 09 05:00

2008 Year In Review – Sat Jun 13 09 05:30

2009 Air Dates:

2009 Rallye Perce-Neige – Maniwaki, Quebec: Sat Jun 13 09 11:30 Premiere

2009 Rocky Mountain Rally – Calgary, Alberta: Sat Jun 20 09 11:30 Premiere

(as reported on SpecialStage)

 

1st Annual Big White Rally Weekend

As a bit of catchup, here’s the link to the recap of the superfun events at Big White before Christmas, hosted by the Prescribed Burn Rally Team:

Big White Rally Weekend PR

The second stage test day to be organized in the Okanagan opened the event, with four rally cars out testing and playing in the snow. The next test day is tentatively scheduled for Saturday March 21st, and the Prescribed Burn Team plans to host another Big White Rally Weekend in early December 2009.

PBR Team Rallies to Career Top National Finish at Rocky

An unusually heavy week of rain descended upon Calgary, Alberta just in time for the 2008 Rocky Mountain Stage Rally, creating challenging conditions for the organizers, teams and volunteers. The second round of the Canadian National series had thirty four entries and showcased new contingency programs and factory support from Subaru and Mitsubishi.

As teams traveled out to the first stages, a rare short break in the rain occurred and Mark and Jennifer flew through the familiar roads without incident. By the first reseed they had moved ahead of their usual regional competition, and just in behind the funded factory teams. The third stage of the rally was the longest and a favourite of Mark’s; although turbo problems had prevented the team from truly taking the stage in the past, this time they pushed hard and drove Powderface all out. On the transit back to Calgary two top teams were stopped on the roadside, and another was left on stage with a blown motor. This attrition put the Prescribed Burn Team in the running for a top five National finish.

The impact of the weather was apparent early in the rally when flooding forced the cancellation of the short spectator stages. In lieu of the planned gravel course, the organizers devised a head to head, WRC style tarmac super special for the spectators expected at the Race City Speedway on Friday night. Despite the downpour, a sizeable crowd equipped with cameras and umbrellas turned up to see the teams and cars at service and on the track. The Prescribed Burn Team ended day one in fifth place overall, its highest National standing ever. Mark and Jennifer aimed to carry the speed and composure they attained on the Powderface stages into the Porcupine Hills, despite the torrential rain and rumours of car-sucking mud on Saturday’s tricky and technical stages.

The Prescribed Burn Team started day two by setting fourth fastest times on the first two stages, moving them ahead of Mitsubishi teams from Quebec. Mark and Jennifer were surprised at how well they fared since they battled thick fog and confusion about chicane placement on the first stage. At the first service the focus was on tires, and many teams were changing to new gravel tires or narrow mud tires. Deep mud and rocks on the next two tight, narrow stages cost the team time and a lot of tire wear, but they managed to lose only one position.

Mark drove at the very edge for the grip and the conditions over the last two stages, but their closest competitors with mud tires gained ground. The Prescribed Burn Team finished the Rocky Mountain Rally in sixth overall, also collecting important points as the second place novice entry. Patrick Richard and Alan Ockwell won the event for the Rocket Rally Team in their new Subaru Canada WRX STI.

According to co-driver Jennifer Daly, the rally was a success: “I’m very happy with our performance and I think we are steadily progressing as a team. We were consistent and we are gaining confidence; sixth overall is an outstanding result. We relied heavily on our volunteer service crew to maintain the car and especially the tires at this event. They were dedicated and steadfast despite the terrible cold, wet, muddy conditions they endured all weekend.” Dave Hood, Eric Bauld, Alex Schubel and Dave Steeper were in attendance as service crew for Rocky.

Over the course of the event, the rain flowed in rivers across the transit roads and into culverts on stage, creating huge puddles that splashed into the roof vents and engines of the rally cars, forcing at least one retirement. The Canadian National series is being filmed to air on TSN in the fall, and according to the veteran rally videographers, the 2008 Rocky conditions were the worst ever.

After reviewing the stage times, driver Mark Jennings-Bates summarized his performance: “We set a competitive pace on Friday and maintained it for the Saturday morning stages. The mud got thicker and deeper as the day progressed, and against other teams with specialized mud tires, we lost precious seconds and dropped in the overall final standings. There are well equipped new or returning teams on the Western Canadian circuit and we’re looking forward to some close battles this season.” With new rivalries brewing, the team will begin preparation for its next outing, the Mountain Trials Regional Stage Rally, taking place in Merritt BC on June 13 & 14. Mountain Trials is a home event for the team and they will be driving hard for a podium finish.

The Prescribed Burn Rally Team is supported by BCResortHomes.com, Agar Paint & Autobody, BigO Tire in Westbank, OkanaganVisitor.ca, Provisiondata.com, Stacy Screen Print, Kelowna Moving Centre, Wyatt Autoparts, Wishbone Industries, The Great Canadian Oil Change and Bell Racing.

PBR Team Takes on US Competition at Olympus Rally 2008

The Prescribed Burn Rally Team had an action packed weekend at the historic Olympus Rally in Pomeroy WA. The first US event for the team was a challenging mix of smooth ridgeline roads and tight corners in and out of grassland valleys, with some teams reaching speeds near 200 km/h. The rally was centred at the Garfield County Fairgrounds, where driver Mark Jennings-Bates, codriver Jennifer Daly and service crew Dave Hood, Alex Schubel, Dave Steeper and Eric Bauld enjoyed the old fashioned small town generosity of the host community. The Olympus Rally has a historic past as one of the oldest rallies in America, and as a previous World Rally Championship event.

On Saturday the first regional rally came to a sudden end for the Prescribed Burn Team less than two miles into the second stage. The car slid slightly wide on an acute loose gravel corner; the soft bank edge fell out from under it and the car landed at the bottom of the steep outside ditch. Unharmed, Mark and Jennifer scrambled out of the gulley to await the course closing crew, who capably extracted the rally car and notified the rest of the team. Determined to continue, Mark drove the car back out of the stage in reverse, with two flat tires, bent rims and a crooked front wheel. At the stage entry they were rescued by their service crew, who towed the car back to the fairgrounds to assess the damage. A few hours of hard work and some spare parts got the car repaired in time to reenter the second regional rally, a commendable achievement for the volunteer service crew.

The early crash was not the end of the trouble for the Prescribed Burn Rally Team. Turbo problems caused them to limp through the first stage after the restart, effectively putting them out of podium contention. This problem was tackled in the later stages and resolved by the last day of the event, where the team came within seconds of reaching the maximum average speed allowed on the final stage. They also bested some well known drivers of large budget factory teams. Mark and Jennifer gained confidence using pace notes and they were able to test the limits of the rally car; working under time constraints and getting the car back into the rally were valuable experiences for the service crew.

DC Shoes founder Ken Block won the national rally for the Subaru USA team; Mark and Jennifer placed 6th overall in the second regional. The team traveled to the Olympus Rally as part of their preparation for their first national event of 2008, Alberta’s Rocky Mountain Rally in May.

Link to the Olympus Rally website HERE.

Prescribed Burn Rally Team Takes Open Class Win at Cochrane Rally 2008

This year Cochrane was a fast paced, exciting rally, complete with winter driving challenges, amazing offs and fierce competition.  Sunday’s stages were ice and gravel blanketed by a few centimetres of fresh snow.  The conditions were highly variable depending on running order, and changed substantially throughout the day.  The Prescribed Burn Rally Team set out first on the road in the morning, setting respectable times despite the slippery and deceptive untouched snow on the stages.   By the first service they proved to be behind the pace of the leading group, who were taking advantage of the grippy gravel that was appearing as the rally progressed.    The second leg of the rally took place on the tricky and technical Harold Creek stages; these stages claimed two rally cars during the event, and the Prescribed Burn car almost became a third.  Early in stage 3 Mark and Jennifer came flying into a sharp left slightly unprepared, and ended up on top of the large snowbank, on the outer edge of the road, sliding along it and managing to use whatever wheels were still on the ground to avoid going over the edge. This corner saw a lot more action after the Prescribed Burn team came through – some competitors bounced off the bank, and one car went off and rolled over completely.  The rollover was the big story of the event, until another team launched their car off a crest and wedged it between two trees on the second pass of the Harold Creek stages.  The crews from the crashed cars were uninjured but out of the rally.  Mark and Jennifer made up time during the final leg of the rally.  They set top times on stages, and were within 10 seconds of second and third place overall.  Delays from earlier in the rally caused two late stages to be cancelled, and the opportunities for the Prescribed Burn Team to continue making up time were lost.  The team was still in line for the open class win, as the next closest open driver ended up hitting a bridge trying to catch them.  As all the teams filed into the final control it became clear that the results were extremely close, with a large part of the field possibly on the podium.  This situation is unusual in rally, and it took the officials a long time to declare the results.  Mark, Jennifer and the Prescribed Burn Team took the Open class win, and placed fifth overall, 20 seconds out of third.  The Bullit Racing Team of Colin Armstrong and Jason Thain won the event and the Group 2 title.  The next Alberta event is the Rocky Mountain Stage Rally in May.   Link to event photos from Formula Photographic HERE. Link to Shawn’s photos, including sequences of the close calls on Harold Creek, HERE. Link to Louren Sansregret’s photos HERE. 

Cochrane Rally Opens Sirius Stage Season This Weekend

Twenty teams from BC and AB will be rallying through Albertan ranch country at the 2008 Cochrane Rally of the Ranchlands on March 15 & 16. Sirius team members Jennifer and Josh will be in the right seats for Mark Jennings-Bates in an open Impreza and John Breen in a P-3 Focus, respectively.

The G2 battle will be the main focus of the Cochrane Rally this year. Two of the top G2 cars have new codrivers, and a perennial favourite is returning to his old VW ride for the event. Mark and Jennifer are slated as car 1 in the start order, leading all the 2wd cars onto the stages. Being the first car on the road will be a new challenge for Jennifer. The Prescribed Burn rally car has been fined tuned at Rocket, and the volunteer service crew will be out in full force for Cochrane. The Prescribed Burn Team is hoping for a reliable start to the 2008 season, and aiming for a podium place at Cochrane this weekend.

Link to event homepage HERE.

Eis Munkys Take Savoia Aero Team Prize at TBird 2008

This year’s Thunderbird rally was a classic snow event. Over forty cars took to the backroads between Merritt and Kamloops, and although many ended up in snowbanks multiple times during the rally, at the end of the event there were only 2 DNFs. The Eis Munky Rally Team this year had both new and returning members, and took the overall team prize with three class wins. Congrats to Historic winners (and captain) Gil and Chris, Paper winners Alan and Emma, and to new Eis Munkys and Novice winners Karl and Shane.

Sirius team member Josh drove his Alcan Forester and won the Calculator class. Josh will be writing for the website during Alcan, so that the Sirius team will have both cars represented in the daily updates.

While Jennifer and Josh were at Thunderbird, Gord and the Rocket Rally crew started their 2008 rally season with a 3rd place overall at the Rallye Perce-Neige in Manawaki QC. Everyone is back home now, and the last minute preparations are under way. The Sirius Rally Team is looking forward to a cold, snowy and eventful Winter Alcan Rally – only 5 days away.

Link to Thunderbird 2008 results HERE.
Click HERE for TBird photos from Sirius Rally.

Four Decades of Winners Compete at Thunderbird Rally

With tonnes of snow and an exciting entry field, the 2008 Thunderbird TSD Rally is sure to be an epic ride. The rally will feature snowy backroads between Merritt and Kamloops BC; the ample snowfall this season has created snowbanks big enough to keep cars on course. Thunderbird is the largest TSD Rally in BC, and draws teams from as far away as Arizona and California.

The entry field is stacked with over 15 teams that have won the event in the sixties, seventies, nineties and in recent years. Taisto Heinonen, one of the most decorated stage rallyists in Canada, tops the entry list. Competitors for the 2008 Alcan 5000 are also well represented, mostly by factory teams. The oldest car entered at present is a 1971 Alfa Romeo that also made an appearance at Totem last year.

This year all cars are required to be part of a team entry. This was optional last year and the Sirius crew founded the Eis Munky Rally Team, which is being represented again by TSD veterans Gil Stuart and Chris Peake. The 07 Eis Munkys finished in last place as a team, plagued by mechanical problems, but with new rules and a new line up, the 08 Eis Munkys could have a shot at the Savoia Aero Team Prize.

The Sirius Rally Team will be represented at TBird by Jennifer, who will be checkpointing in the Rex. Gord will be with the Rocket crew at Perce-Neige. Thunderbird was the first rally for Jennifer and August as a team in 2005; Gord and Onur ran in 2006 with no heater as the first rally for the Rocket Legacy. The organizers kindly moved the event this year to accommodate Alcan teams, so Thunderbird will be a great snowy warm up event for the Alcan adventure that starts next weekend!

Sirius Rally Team Member Takes Second Overall at IceX

The first iceX of the season was sunny, slippery and fun, with Sirius team members besting rivals and posting top lap times. The lake was as slick as glass by the end of the day, and cars were sliding sideways and getting stuffed into all the snowbanks. Driven by Ryan from Vancouver, the big red sweep truck was dispatched frequently. A total of 33 drivers participated; a crowd of spectators and passengers braved the cold as well.

The variety of vehicles racing was entertaining: Paul in Mr2, Gil in his 1967 Volvo, and even a token Porche 911. Warwick the organizer flicking back and forth in the fun Justy was great to watch, and he put on an excellent event. The Legacy battle was the story of the weekend, and it ended up almost too close to call. Gord placed 2nd by only 2 seconds to Onur and his fancy tires in the 4wd rubber class. Both placed ahead of all the entrants in the 4wd studded group. Jennifer placed 8th in 4wd rubber. The fastest lap of the day was Onur’s at 56 seconds; Gord’s best was 58 seconds, and Jennifer was close behind at 1:01.

This event was a great opportunity to test our ice driving and our tolerance for cold. Jennifer volunteered for the event and was comfortable out in the elements setting up the course and starting cars. The clear, cold day was forecasted to be -10 degrees at the coldest, and the winds were not strong. Inuvik temperatures will be as low as -25 degrees this week, making Barnes Lake seem balmy in comparison.

Click HERE for results.

Clicke HERE for event photos.